The function of the cello or bass endpin is to provide a secure support on the floor for the instrument when it is being played by a performer. During the last hundred or so years of its universal acceptance and use, the cello endpin has undergone few changes.
Originally endpins were wooden rods with points. Subsequently, inventors created a type of pin that was widely accepted by cellists: an endpin that was an adjustable rod that is an integral part of the instrument, and that could be fully retracted into the bottom of the cello. This rod passes through a socket in end of the cello and is held in place by a thumb screw. This type of endpin has virtually become the standard world wide.
Because the cello is balanced on the endpin, the endpin must be secure from slipping on the floor. Cellists deal with this problem in a variety of ways. One solution is to sharpen the endpin sufficiently that it will lodge securely in the floor. This works only for a wooden or soft surfaced floor such as vinyl. One downside is that this technique will damage the floor. Another solution is a pad that protects the floor while providing a recessed hole or recepticle for the endpin. This option also works for endpins that are not sharp (i.e., student instruments). Anchoring such a pad can be accomplished by attaching it with a strap or strings to the legs of the performer's chair. These anchors work, but they require adjustment with strings or straps and a suitable chair leg. Endpin anchors that are not attached to the chair require some sort of non-stick surface that will not slide on the floor when subjected to the lateral force of the endpin. The prior art anchors are unreliable, resulting in sudden failure, slip, or creep, which can be very detrimental in performance.
Various endpin holders and floor protectors have been proposed over the vast number of years since the endpin became standard on cellos world-wide. Unless they are attached to the performer's chair, none of them have proved to be satisfactory.
The prior art is replete with endpin restraints to prevent damage to the floor as a result of direct contact with the free end of the endpin and prevent the endpin from sliding along the floor so as not to impair the performance of the cellist.
One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,129 issued Apr. 19, 1997 to Hollander. In this patent, an end-pin holder for stringed instruments includes a back plate raised above the floor by pads or feet of cushioning material, and a top plate supported above the back plate and coupled thereto by a sound post. The top plate is provided with a socket to receive the end-pin.
Another device is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,102 issued Dec. 3, 1991 to Wolf. This patent discloses an attachment including a carrier member separably connectable to the endpin, and a supporting member connected to the carrier member for supporting a hemispherical or conical floor contacting, elastomeric material.
Another device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,338 issued Dec. 9, 1997 to Grissom. The Grissom floor protector has an upper surface having a plurality of raised supports forming pockets for supporting an endpin of a musical instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,626 issued Feb. 24, 2004 shows an endpin holder anchored to the legs of a chair using an adjustment strap.
Despite the many endpin holders of the prior art, cellists still experience slight movements and continue to not have the confidence that endpin holders will not slip during a performance or practice. As a result many cellists refuse to use them. Instead, cellists still prefer to sharpen the end of the endpin and jam it into the floor. This is often inappropriate or impossible on a stone, tile, or cement floor. Certain carpet may also need protection from the sharpened endpin.
The instant invention provides a solution for this long felt need for completely trustworthy endpin restraint and floor protector.